Rhinehart's Oyster Bar, Augusta, Georgia A local favorite

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

J. R. R. Tolkien

For lunch yesterday we wanted to go have a good seafood meal for lunch and decided on Rhinehart's. This is a restaurant that is very casual so it was perfect for us who had worked around the house and were just in shorts and tee shirt and didn't feel like dressing up. Their motto is “It's beyond Casual” which definitely fits the style of this restaurant. Since opening their original restaurant on Washington Road back in 1987 and doing as well as they did, Craig and Amy Bailey decided to open another one on Belair Road. Both are located in perfect locations for their patrons. We went to the Belair Road restaurant as is was closer to home.

The restaurant reminds you of a beach shack restaurant with the parking lot at the Washington Road location uniquely covered with oyster shells. When you get in the restaurant you will notice they have large picnic tables that people have either written their name on or scratched their names into the table. It is totally fine to write your name on the walls as well. If you are looking for a fancy place to eat or if you find offense to this – do not come here. This is a light hearted, laid back atmosphere that serves food that is very good. When you enter you see a large square bar with bar stools around three sides of it it and above the bar there are dollar bills tacked to the wall. There is both inside and outside seating at both places. I recommend the outside seating when the weather is nice. In the evening they have lights on the fence around where the picnic tables are and during the day the umbrellas are opened and gives it a certain charm.

They serve everything from hamburgers to seafood. I am hooked on their fried shrimp basket and Joe's favorite is the raw Oysters and broiled spicy shrimp. Their food is very fresh and they give you big servings. I've heard they have great burgers as well but I stick strictly to the shrimp. They also run good specials each day like boiled shrimp, crab legs, fried shrimp, and much more. The prices are very reasonable and you can sit and have nice drink with great food and enjoy yourself with friends. Almost all of their meals are under $9.00 which makes it a very reasonable place for a couple to go to. You never leave there hungry. The staff are very nice and fun loving. They stay on it the whole time you are there. We had a great waiter that day.

The owners, Craig and Amy Bailey opened the restaurant in 1983 with their Aunt Nancy's toaster oven and a refrigerator making sandwiches. Their business was slow they ended up closing the restaurant since it was so slow and later decided to open Rhinehart's Oyster Bar in July 1987. Rhinehart's was named after their Aunt Nancy's maiden name. They only hire cooks who love cooking and you can tell. Their food is delicious. To keep the cost down they use paper plates and plastic cups which also prevents dishpan hands. Their hope is people will come to eat a reasonable meal and feel comfortable and relaxed. We highly recommend this restaurant and take all our out of town family and friends here when they come to visit. They are open from 11 am to 10 pm. www.rhineharts.com.